Written by Stevie Wonder/Clarence Paul and Morris Broadnax and definitively recorded by The Queen of Soul this might be one of my favorite recordings from that 1970’s wellspring of Soul known as Atlantic Records. I love the Funk Brothers, Booker T. Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn and Al Jackson Jr., and Muscle Shoals backing bands as much as anyone but the folks that show up on some of those Atlantic recording dates like this one…
I was so inspired that I just had to run downstairs and get the album Let Me In Your Life so that I could look at the credits again. This is a venerable who’s who of players:
Aretha Franklin, Piano
Hugh McCracken, Guitar
Donny Hathaway, Electric Piano
Richard Tee, Organ
Chuck Rainey, Bass
Bernard Purdie, Drums
Kenneth Bichel, Synthesizer
Ann S. Clark/Pat Smith/Margaret Branch, Background Vocals
Flute solo, Joe Farrell
Horn & String Arrangements, Arif Mardin
Produced by: Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin and Aretha Franklin
Mixed by: Lew Hahn
Recorded at: Atlantic Studios New York, N.Y.
That’s a team. I don’t see an I in there anywhere…
Here’s Stevie’s original take on this classic!
15 years after Aretha another Atlantic artist puts her spin on this tune… I had to put a placeholder here for Miki Howard’s version because the video is having issues being embedded and the only video on you tube of the song you actually can’t embed… which is kind of interesting.
Here’s Milira’s version notice the similarities in arrangement/instrumentation to Miki’s because of the era. Is there anything missing in your opinion?
Hil St. Soul…
A special two for one from Luther her with covers of “Until You Come Back to Me” and The Carpenters classic “Superstar”
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
